diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index d50243f..514dc71 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@ bundled = ["jq-sys/bundled"]
 
 [dependencies]
 jq-sys = "0.2.*"
+serde_json = "1.0"
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 criterion = "0.2"
-serde_json = "1.0"
 matches = "0.1.8"
 error-chain = "0.12.*"
 
diff --git a/src/jq.rs b/src/jq.rs
index 7e0e114..6d39eb7 100644
--- a/src/jq.rs
+++ b/src/jq.rs
@@ -9,10 +9,16 @@ use jq_sys::{
     jq_start, jq_state, jq_teardown, jv, jv_copy, jv_dump_string, jv_free, jv_get_kind,
     jv_invalid_get_msg, jv_invalid_has_msg, jv_kind_JV_KIND_INVALID, jv_kind_JV_KIND_NUMBER,
     jv_kind_JV_KIND_STRING, jv_number_value, jv_parser, jv_parser_free, jv_parser_new,
-    jv_parser_next, jv_parser_set_buf, jv_string_value,
+    jv_parser_next, jv_parser_set_buf, jv_string_value, jv_null, jv_true, jv_false, jv_number, jv_string,
+    jv_array, jv_array_append, jv_array_length, jv_array_get,
+    jv_object, jv_object_set, jv_object_iter, jv_object_iter_next,
+    jv_object_iter_key, jv_object_iter_value, jv_object_iter_valid,
+    jv_kind_JV_KIND_NULL, jv_kind_JV_KIND_FALSE, jv_kind_JV_KIND_TRUE,
+    jv_kind_JV_KIND_ARRAY, jv_kind_JV_KIND_OBJECT
 };
 use std::ffi::{CStr, CString};
 use std::os::raw::{c_char, c_void};
+use serde_json::Value;
 
 pub struct Jq {
     state: *mut jq_state,
@@ -111,6 +117,54 @@ impl Jq {
 
         Ok(buf)
     }
+
+    pub fn execute_json(&mut self, input: &serde_json::Value) -> Result<serde_json::Value> {
+        let input_jv = JV::from_serde(input)?;
+        self.process_jv(input_jv)
+    }
+
+    fn process_jv(&mut self, initial_value: JV) -> Result<serde_json::Value> {
+        unsafe {
+            // jq_start consumes the jv passed to it.
+            // We pass a copy so that the 'initial_value' wrapper can safely drop its own reference later.
+            jq_start(self.state, jv_copy(initial_value.ptr), 0);
+        }
+
+        let mut result = serde_json::Value::Null;
+
+        // 1. Get the first item from the stream
+        let mut next = JV {
+             ptr: unsafe { jq_next(self.state) },
+        };
+
+        // 2. Loop only while the item is VALID
+        while next.is_valid() {
+            // Since it is valid, it is safe to convert to serde (and NOT safe to check get_msg)
+            result = next.to_serde()?;
+
+            // Get the next item
+            next = JV {
+                 ptr: unsafe { jq_next(self.state) },
+            };
+        }
+
+        // 3. The loop has exited, so 'next' is now INVALID.
+        // It is now safe and correct to check it for error messages.
+
+        if self.is_halted() {
+             use ExitCode::*;
+             match self.get_exit_code() {
+                JQ_ERROR_SYSTEM => return Err(Error::System { reason: next.get_msg() }),
+                JQ_ERROR_COMPILE => return Err(Error::InvalidProgram { reason: self.err_buf.clone() }),
+                JQ_ERROR_UNKNOWN => return Err(Error::Unknown),
+                _ => {} // OK
+             }
+        } else if let Some(msg) = next.get_msg() {
+             return Err(Error::System { reason: Some(msg) });
+        }
+
+        Ok(result)
+    }
 }
 
 impl Drop for Jq {
@@ -184,6 +238,109 @@ impl JV {
     pub fn invalid_has_msg(&self) -> bool {
         unsafe { jv_invalid_has_msg(jv_copy(self.ptr)) == 1 }
     }
+
+    /// Convert a serde_json::Value into a libjq jv value.
+    pub fn from_serde(value: &Value) -> Result<JV> {
+        let ptr = unsafe {
+            match value {
+                Value::Null => jv_null(),
+                Value::Bool(true) => jv_true(),
+                Value::Bool(false) => jv_false(),
+                Value::Number(n) => {
+                    // jq numbers are doubles (f64)
+                    if let Some(f) = n.as_f64() {
+                        jv_number(f)
+                    } else {
+                        // Fallback for numbers that don't fit in f64
+                        jv_number(0.0)
+                    }
+                },
+                Value::String(s) => {
+                    let c_str = CString::new(s.as_str()).map_err(|e| Error::StringConvert { err: Box::new(e) })?;
+                    jv_string(c_str.as_ptr())
+                },
+                Value::Array(arr) => {
+                    let mut jv_arr = jv_array();
+                    for item in arr {
+                        let item_jv = JV::from_serde(item)?;
+                        jv_arr = jv_array_append(jv_arr, jv_copy(item_jv.ptr));
+                    }
+                    jv_arr
+                },
+                Value::Object(obj) => {
+                    let mut jv_obj = jv_object();
+                    for (k, v) in obj {
+                        let k_c = CString::new(k.as_str()).map_err(|e| Error::StringConvert { err: Box::new(e) })?;
+                        let v_jv = JV::from_serde(v)?;
+                        jv_obj = jv_object_set(jv_obj, jv_string(k_c.as_ptr()), jv_copy(v_jv.ptr));
+                    }
+                    jv_obj
+                }
+            }
+        };
+        Ok(JV { ptr })
+    }
+
+    /// Convert a libjq jv value back into a serde_json::Value.
+    pub fn to_serde(&self) -> Result<Value> {
+        unsafe {
+            let kind = jv_get_kind(self.ptr);
+            match kind {
+                x if x == jv_kind_JV_KIND_NULL => Ok(Value::Null),
+                x if x == jv_kind_JV_KIND_FALSE => Ok(Value::Bool(false)),
+                x if x == jv_kind_JV_KIND_TRUE => Ok(Value::Bool(true)),
+                x if x == jv_kind_JV_KIND_NUMBER => {
+                    let n = jv_number_value(self.ptr);
+
+                    // FIX: Check if the float is actually an integer
+                    if n.fract() == 0.0 {
+                        // It is a whole number. Try to fit it into an i64.
+                        // We check bounds because f64 can represent values larger than i64::MAX
+                        if n >= (i64::MIN as f64) && n <= (i64::MAX as f64) {
+                            return Ok(Value::Number(serde_json::Number::from(n as i64)));
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    // Fallback: It has a decimal part OR it's too big for i64
+                    Ok(serde_json::Number::from_f64(n).map(Value::Number).unwrap_or(Value::Null))
+                },
+                x if x == jv_kind_JV_KIND_STRING => {
+                    let s = get_string_value(jv_string_value(self.ptr))?;
+                    Ok(Value::String(s))
+                },
+                x if x == jv_kind_JV_KIND_ARRAY => {
+                    let len = jv_array_length(jv_copy(self.ptr));
+                    let mut vec = Vec::with_capacity(len as usize);
+                    for i in 0..len {
+                        let item_ptr = jv_array_get(jv_copy(self.ptr), i);
+                        let item = JV { ptr: item_ptr };
+                        vec.push(item.to_serde()?);
+                    }
+                    Ok(Value::Array(vec))
+                },
+                x if x == jv_kind_JV_KIND_OBJECT => {
+                    let mut map = serde_json::Map::new();
+                    let mut iter = jv_object_iter(self.ptr);
+                    while jv_object_iter_valid(self.ptr, iter) != 0 {
+                        let key_ptr = jv_object_iter_key(self.ptr, iter);
+                        let val_ptr = jv_object_iter_value(self.ptr, iter);
+
+                        let key = JV { ptr: key_ptr };
+                        let val = JV { ptr: val_ptr };
+
+                        let key_str = key.as_string()?;
+                        let val_json = val.to_serde()?;
+
+                        map.insert(key_str, val_json);
+                        iter = jv_object_iter_next(self.ptr, iter);
+                    }
+                    Ok(Value::Object(map))
+                },
+                _ => Err(Error::Unknown),
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
 }
 
 impl Drop for JV {
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 1f4c90f..d170982 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -182,6 +182,11 @@ impl JqProgram {
         let input = CString::new(data)?;
         self.jq.execute(input)
     }
+
+    /// Runs a serde_json::Value input against a pre-compiled jq program.
+    pub fn run_json(&mut self, data: &serde_json::Value) -> Result<serde_json::Value> {
+        self.jq.execute_json(data)
+    }
 }
 
 /// Compile a jq program then reuse it, running several inputs against it.
@@ -332,4 +337,66 @@ mod test {
             assert_matches!(res, Err(Error::System { .. }));
         }
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn run_json_basic_types() {
+        // Test String
+        let input = json!({"val": "hello"});
+        let mut prog = compile(".val").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(prog.run_json(&input).unwrap(), json!("hello"));
+
+        // Test Number (Integer preserved as Number)
+        let input = json!({"val": 42});
+        let mut prog = compile(".val").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(prog.run_json(&input).unwrap(), json!(42));
+
+        // Test Number (Float)
+        let input = json!({"val": 3.14});
+        let mut prog = compile(".val").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(prog.run_json(&input).unwrap(), json!(3.14));
+
+        // Test Boolean
+        let input = json!({"val": true});
+        let mut prog = compile(".val").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(prog.run_json(&input).unwrap(), json!(true));
+
+        // Test Null
+        let input = json!({"val": null});
+        let mut prog = compile(".val").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(prog.run_json(&input).unwrap(), json!(null));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn run_json_complex_structures() {
+        let data = json!({
+            "users": [
+                {"id": 1, "name": "Alice", "active": true},
+                {"id": 2, "name": "Bob", "active": false},
+                {"id": 3, "name": "Charlie", "active": true}
+            ]
+        });
+
+        // 1. Filter and Map: Get names of active users
+        let mut prog = compile(".users | map(select(.active) | .name)").unwrap();
+        let res = prog.run_json(&data).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(res, json!(["Alice", "Charlie"]));
+
+        // 2. Object Construction: Create a summary object
+        let mut prog = compile("{ count: .users | length, first: .users[0].name }").unwrap();
+        let res = prog.run_json(&data).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(res, json!({ "count": 3, "first": "Alice" }));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn run_json_deep_nesting() {
+        // Verify that we don't lose data in deep recursion
+        let deep_json = json!({"level1": {"level2": {"level3": [1, 2, 3]}}});
+
+        // Identity transform should return the structure exactly as is
+        let mut prog = compile(".").unwrap();
+        let res = prog.run_json(&deep_json).unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(res, deep_json);
+    }
+
 }